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Unlock a Sony Phone — IMEI Checks, Carrier Unlocks and Codes

Sony handsets are locked by the carrier that sold them or by a code derived from the IMEI. This page lists the 90 models our device register recognises, explains how Sony locks a handset, and links the checks and unlocks that apply to it.

Before you pay anyone. Run the $0.03 SIM lock check and the carrier check. They tell you whether the phone is locked, which operator owns the IMEI, and therefore which unlock tier — if any — applies.

How Sony devices are locked

Most handsets from this brand are either code-locked (the phone prompts for a network code when a foreign SIM is inserted) or released by the carrier that sold them. Which one applies depends on the model year and on whether it was sold through an operator — the IMEI check tells you before you pay for anything.

The practical consequence is the same for every family: the phone works, and it refuses to activate on a SIM from another network until the record against the IMEI changes. Wi-Fi keeps working, so the device looks healthy right up to the moment the new SIM goes in.

Sony models in the register

Model in the TAC register	TACs
Xperia	159
R320s	66
Docomo Xperia	33
1101602-BV	32
CMD Z5	28
T310	27
T300	24
1101602-CN	22
T29s	22
CMD J5	22
CMD Z18	20
1130202-CN	15
T39m	11
Xperia Z3 Dual	10
1130202-BV	8
T200, T202	8
Playstation Vita	8
Kddi Xperia	8
Xperia M2	7
Xperia XA1	7
Xperia M4 Aqua	7
Xperia 1 III	6
Xperia 1 V	6
Xperia E1 dual	6
Xperia Z5	6
Xperia 5 III	6
Xperia 5	6
CMD J70	6
CMD Z7	6
Xperia E4 Dual	5
Xperia E3	5
Xperia L1	5
Xperia XZ	5
Softbank Xperia	5
Xperia XA1 Plus	5
Xperia XA Ultra	5
Xperia 1	5
CMD CD5	5
Xperia J	4
Xperia E3 Dual	4
T290a	4
W205	4
CMD-J16	4
GS64	4
Xperia Z2	4
Xperia M4 Aqua Dual	4
Xperia C4	4
Xperia M	4
Xperia E1	4
Xperia Z3+	4
Xperia Z5 Compact	4
Xperia Z3 Compact	4
Xperia 5 IV	4
Xperia 10 V	4
Xperia 5 II	4
Xperia 1 IV	4
Xperia 10 IV	4
Xperia Pro-I	4
Xperia 1 II	4
Xperia XA1 Ultra	4
Xperia XA2	4
Xperia XA2 Ultra	4
Xperia L2	4
Xperia XZ2	4
Xperia 10	4
Xperia L3	4
Xperia 10 Plus	4
CMD C1	4
CMD Z1	4
FAF-1031021-BV (EE52)	3
Type CMD-CD18	3
CMD-Z6	3
Xperia C	3
Xperia C3 Dual	3
Xperia M2 dual	3
Xperia M2 Aqua	3
Xperia XA	3
Xperia E5	3
Xperia X	3
Xperia Play	3

90 model names on file. The count is how many TAC ranges the register holds for that name — it is a rough popularity signal, not a sales figure.

Sony services

Service	Price	Type
Japan KDDI \| AU \| UQ Unlock - iPhone 6s-12, Samsung, SONY & Generic	$0.50	carrier unlock
Japan Docomo \| NTT Unlock Clean & Under Contract - iPhone 6s-SE-12 Samsung, SONY & More	$0.57	carrier unlock
Japan Softbank \| Ymobile Unlock - iPhone iPhone 6s-SE-12, Samsung, SONY & More	$2.50	carrier unlock
UK Tesco \| O2 - Unlock Code NCK - Samsung, SONY & Generic「Test」	$5	carrier unlock
Ireland Eir \| Meteor \| E-mobile Unlock - Samsung, Motorola & Generic	$19	carrier unlock
Croatia A1 \| VIPnet Unlock Code - Samsung, Sony & Generic Test	$29	carrier unlock

Live prices for the Sony services in our catalogue.

What to check first

Identify the device. The free TAC lookup turns the first eight digits of the IMEI into a model and launch date.
Confirm the lock and the carrier. A SIM lock check and a carrier check cost about six cents together and decide everything that follows.
Check the blacklist. A reported IMEI cannot be unlocked into service, on any brand.
Only then order. Pick the tier that matches the reported carrier, not the tier that matches the brand on the box.

Guides that apply to Sony

iPhone SIM errorsUnlock codes by brandAndroid warranty checksCarrier identification

Model names and TAC counts come from the GSMA TAC register we query for /tac. Last updated 2026-10-28.